Colchester: pair awarded papal medals

11:51am Monday 5th May 2008

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A RARE medal awarded by the Pope has been bestowed on two Colchester women.

Olive Hewitt and Peggy Wilding both received the Benemerenti Medal during the Sunday service at St Theodore's Roman Catholic Church in Monkwick from the parish priest, Father Joseph Wisstock.

Church committee member Christine Brown said the medals were rare and she had only heard of one other being given out in recent memory in the Colchester area.

The Benemerenti Medal is a papal honour given in recognition of Christian work carried out over a number of years.

Mrs Brown said Mrs Hewitt and Mrs Wilding had contributed to the church, sitting on the committee in various guises, over the past 40 years as well as being involved in a large number of fundraising activities.

She said Mrs Wilding had been a driving force on the church committee, serving as secretary for most of the last four decades.

Mrs Hewitt played piano and held various posts on the committee including chairman and treasurer.

"We are hugely proud of them. They have been involved in the church since the 1960s and have been involved in a huge number of things including raising money for the renovations and even running bingo," added Mrs Brown.